Today being the feast of the Queenship of Mary, I thought of giving you a brief reflection on one of the most popular prayers or hymns of the Catholic Church. The Salve Regina, or Hail Holy Queen was composed during the Middle Ages by German monk Hermann of Reichenau. It was always sung or recited in Latin especially among monks during Compline, the prayer that is said in the evening. It is said that St Bernard, while acting as legate Apostolic in Germany, on Christmas Eve, 1146, he entered the cathedral to the processional chanting of the anthem, and, as he genuflected three times, he uttered the words "O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria," and these words were added to the Salve Regina. The Salve Regina is traditionally sung at the end of a priest's funeral Mass out of reverence to Mary, the Mother of Christ, the High Priest, and all Priests. As a prayer, it is commonly said at the end of the rosary.
The hymn has been set to music by various composers, including Victoria, Palestrina, Josquin, di Lassus, Mozart, and others. Handel and Liszt composed their own settings in later years. Schubert composed no less than four versions. In 1976 the words of the first verse of the Salve Regina were used as a repeating theme in the song 'Oh What a Circus' in the musical Evita, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice.
No comments:
Post a Comment